


Consorts and Traditions

by faradheia



Category: Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 11:31:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17058986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faradheia/pseuds/faradheia
Summary: Stone helps a young consort with some thoughts about tradition.  Moon teaches children how to fish.





	Consorts and Traditions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nightalp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nightalp/gifts).



Stone lounged on the sand leaning his back against a boulder, the waters of the Yellow Sea lapping a few yards away.  Some distance up the beach, rocks extended out into the water, possibly the remnants of an ancient pier. One column, much taller than the others, provided a tie-up for the wind ship. Delin’s family members were scattered over the boat, up and down the beach and a couple of pavilion tents had been set up a near-by. Stone had found this stretch of beach far enough out of the way to have some quiet time without being too far away.

It had been over a year since they’d gotten Consolation and her court settled and a couple of seasons ago Moon had finally convinced Bitter to fly again. Slow easy flights around the home tree branches eventually led to more athletic flying; Frost and Thorn providing flying partners and the other Aeriat children joining in games of flying acrobatics.  Moon was turning out to be an excellent teacher of flying maneuvers, helping the youngsters, and mock fights with Chime and maybe not surprisingly, Ember.

Almost a month ago, a warrior came from Star Aster wishing to open trade and alliance discussions.  So Pearl sent Jade, and it seemed like half the court, to a meeting point on the shores of the Yellow Sea well away from the groundling city.  

The last five days had been taken up with set up, arrival and the Star Aster court coming in.  They had sent a sister-queen Spark and her consort Bright, an unmated consort Mist who was a little older than Ember, three dozen warriors, a handful of Arbora and a number of youngsters including three young consorts, Charm, Brace and Twist.

After the formalities and initial offers were heard, the main work was being done by the queens and several of the elder mentors, leaving everyone else to mingle, hunt and otherwise entertain themselves.

A small group of fliers over the water attracted Stone’s attention, the largest person was obviously Moon flying in slow patterns, joined by Ember, Frost, Thorn, Bitter and several younger Star Aster warrior children.  They were listening intently to whatever Moon was explaining, something to do with the water and the weather apparently if the hand-waving meant anything. 

Several minutes later Moon dove sharply into the water, the youngsters watching intently from above, before emerging after several long seconds with a fish.  He flattened his wings over the water to aid in floating as he ate the fish, waving one hand up at the others. Then, folding his wings, did a slow backwards swim towards shore.   Once it was shallow enough to stand comfortably, he launched himself back into the air.

One by one the children went into the water.  When they came up, without or with the fish, Moon would fly low and slow over them, grabbing an arm or shoulders and lifting them back into the air to get back to flying.  The fishing lesson ranged over quite some distance but never out of Stone’s vision. 

At some point, Ember snagged a huge fish that put up quite a fight judging by the splashing and shouting.  Frost swooped down and sunk her foot claws into it. She wobbled higher into the air and with a frantic look, made quickly for the beach.  She dropped it on the sand a couple of yards from Stone with a relieved laugh.

“How’s the fishing?”

Frost shook her frills and spines to resettle them, “Fantastic!  Moon says this technique is better in rivers but I like it in the sea.”  She paused, “Though I can see getting airborne again is a problem without a water boat or rope from a wind ship nearby.” 

Stone laughed; Frost waved and took off back out to the group.

Soft footsteps hissed through the sand and he waited for the new arrivals to come into view.  The consort Mist and the three young consorts, all in groundling, were walking along the beach exploring and playing.  They paused when they spotted him then all turned to look when a particularly enthusiastic shriek came from the group over the water.

After several long moments of staring, Mist turned back, “Greetings line-grandfather.  May we join you?”

Stone shrugged and waved at the nearby sand.  The flying group seemed to have developed an incomprehensible game involving diving, scooping, catching and tossing each other.  It sounded like fun from the shouts and laughter by the group.

The five of them sat watching for a few minutes before Brace tentatively asked, “What are they doing?”

“Well, it started out as a fishing lesson but it seems to have turned into aerial practice for fighting and rescue.  It’s safer to practice this kind of flying over water to avoid most injuries,” Stone answered.

“But they’re consorts?” Twist wondered.

“Moon feels that it’s important for everyone to know how to hunt and fish and defend yourself. And I agree.  There are still Fell out there or other bad people and you won’t spend your whole life in one bower or another.  When you travel you should be able to take care of yourself, so that one day when you are a line-grandfather you will be a formidable defender of your court.”

The three stared at him in astonishment, stared at each other, then back to Stone and finally to Mist.  “Can we go?” Charm asked.

“Absolutely,” Stone said before Mist could open his mouth.  The three younglings stood, shifted and leaped into the air. They arrowed to the group over the water where Moon welcomed them, they partnered up with the other children from their court and soon broke off a little where the others seemed to be recounting the fishing lesson.

Moon gave them a few minutes before flying over to check on them and then he spent his time shuttling back a forth before leaving Ember in charge of the first group.

Mist watched the scene for some time silently.  Stone could practically smell the confusion. “Why… do you not encourage Moon to become a more …traditional consort?”

This was a fair question and one not actually asked before as far as Stone knew. He shifted position a bit and sighed, “Well, first, it’s hard to unlearn thirty years of survival skills in two.”

Mist nodded seriously, “I can see that and obviously his skills served him well but…?”

“Secondly, it is my private feeling that we Raksura have traditionally not made the best use of consorts. Warriors are good and fierce fighters able to take and deal damage and while the loss of each person is a tragedy, it doesn’t mean the court is necessarily in immediate danger.  To not teach the only other people besides the queens, who will gain in strength and size over time to fight, to remove this formidable weapon from use, seems short sighted.

Perhaps in a past lost in the histories, consorts were equal fighters with the queens and were at some point decimated, prompting the child consorts to be hidden and protected for the court’s survival.  And thus in that lost past, it became tradition.”

Mist’s eyes were huge, following this logical supposition.

“So Moon coming with his skills, changes and teachings seems to me like a very good thing.”

That effectively ended conversation for a while, Mist undoubtedly reevaluating things.  He seemed like an intelligent young man, so Stone had some hope for his future and his court making the steps towards changes.

Moon had gathered everyone into a group and was sorting everyone by …size.  Stone raised a eyebrow. They turned and flew further out to sea, where the group seemed to sort themselves again.  Moon made a sharp gesture Stone could barely see and the smallest fliers started back as fast as they could fly. Several long seconds later, the next largest were sent, then Frost, Bitter and Thorn.  Moon and Ember held position until the first group was over halfway to shore. He sent Ember who was off like a shot, gaining speed quickly and passing the closest group to him and rapidly closing the gap to the others.

“See,” Stone murmured, “power, strength, speed hidden away, unused.”

And Moon moved.  

Freed from some internal countdown, he dove.  Flying low over the wavetops, he sped below the other fliers, passing them and reaching the beach at the same time as the first wave.  They gave a great cheer as he flashed by them. After he’d cleared them, Moon pulled up high to dump speed and with a large rush of backwinged-air, flopped in a marginally controlled manner facedown on the sand so close to Stone that his right wing landed in his lap. 

A series of soft thuds indicated that everyone one else had landed.  A glance up and Stone laughed. The entire flight had faceplanted into the sand in the exact same manner.  After a few moments, clutchmates and friends gathered into groups and fell asleep practically where they landed. Ember chuckled, stood and retrieved the fish from where Frost dropped it.  

“I’m going to take this back to the cooks.” Moon laughed and waved an arm at him without lifting his head from the beach.  

As Ember took off, Stone brushed some of the sand and water drops off the wing over his thigh. Moon turned his head to look over at him with a bright grin.

“So, that went well?”

“Hello Mist.” Moon greeted, “Oh yeah, the fish around here are completely terrified but everyone did very well.  So well that we may have to figure out a way to practice the diving and scooping game back at Indigo Cloud without the water.” 

“Maybe relays with the warriors as catchers?”

“Oooo,” Moon propped himself up on his elbows, spines shifting with curiosity.  “Interesting thought. Maybe.”

“How did the young ones do?” Mist tentatively asked.

“Very well, considering.  Twist I think, could well live up to his name in flying maneuvers with some practice.  The other Aeriat really enjoyed the fishing and the game. I assume they’ll be continuing back in Star Aster when you return. They’re all good kids, smart and enthusiastic.”  Moon laughed, “They’ll probably get all the Arbora children involved somehow too. That will be interesting.”

The sun was starting to close on the horizon and the light was taking on a golden hue to match the water.  Stone tapped Moon’s wingbone, “Come on, up. Let’s get the rest of these mischief-makers back to camp.”

“Huh, yup.”  Moon stood, took a step to the side and gave a small shake, sliding the sand from his black scales and resettling his frills and spines.  Clapping his hands, he addressed the mass of scales strewn on the beach, “Alright you lazy lot! Into the air before the queens come out after us with harsh words and ugly chores!”

Everyone got to their feet with yawns and laughs.  “Race back?” Charm asked.

Moon looked at Stone who shrugged. “Form up!  Same groups!” Anyone who had shifted to groundling quickly got their wings back.

“First group go!” Pause. “Next!”  Pause. “Go!” That was Frost, Thorn and Bitter who departed with shouts, leaving Moon, Stone and Mist on the beach.

“You both coming?” Moon asked after a long moment.

Mist answered yes and Stone nodded, both of them rising, and with a wave Moon was in the air, aiming high over the preceding groups this time.

Mist reached out and touched Stone on the arm, “Thank you line-grandfather.” Then he shifted, his black scales shimmered with an unusual green undertone, and headed back at a more casual speed.

Stone waited a few seconds, then shifted, wings covering most of the area where everyone had napped. He smiled and took off.

 

~End~


End file.
